A Synthetic Prostaglandin E2 Analogue,Enprostil, Hastens Gastric Emptying of Solids in Patients with an Active Duodenal Ulcer

The effect of gastric emptying of two doses (35 and 70μg) of enprostil given orally was evaluated in eight patients with endoscopically confirmed duodenal ulcer. Gastric emptying of a radiolabelled solid meal was assessed with the use of a gamma camera. Enprostil dose-dependently accelerated gastric emptying of solids; the gastric emptying index, Ix, increased from 1.62 ± 0.38 min^?1· 10^?2 after placebo to 2.77 ± 0.56 min^?1 · 10^?2 after 35 μg enprostil (p < 0.05 versus placebo) and to 3.65 ± 0.64 min^?1 · 10^?2 after 70 μg enprostil (p < 0.005 versus placebo). The fraction of the radiolabelled food retained in the stomach at the end of the gastric emptying examination (that is, after 90 min) amounted to 50.5 ± 6.9% after placebo, 35.2 ± 7.4% after 35 μ enprostil, and 24.1 ± 8.4% after 70 μg enprostil. It is concluded that enprostil elicits a significant speeding up of solid-phase gastric emptying in duodenal ulcer patients.